Big Ten Network executives are quick to highlight the marquee matchups they have on their schedule. These games draw more fan interest and bigger ratings and put added pressure on cable operators that are not carrying the channel.
But Big Ten Network executives say these high-profile games, like last week’s Wisconsin-Indiana tilt for first place in the conference, aren’t necessarily the reason why the Big Ten decided to launch its own channel.
The schools that aren’t near the top of the standings are the ones benefiting most from the channel’s existence. Last year, 85 Big Ten basketball games were not telecast anywhere. This year, Big Ten Network plans to make 140 basketball games available, including 70 conference games. ABC/ESPN and CBS also carry packages of Big Ten games, meaning that almost every men’s basketball game involving a Big Ten team will be on TV this season.
Big Ten Network officials say the old structure — of selling syndicated rights into local markets — was not working for the conference as a whole. Last year, ESPN held the Big Ten’s syndication rights and sold those games to local broadcasters and regional sports networks in various markets.
“We were noticing decreased availability in the syndication market. Those markets are really drying up,” said Big Ten Network President Mark Silverman. “That is partially one of the reasons why the conference started the Big Ten Network.”
In fact, ESPN seems to be more focused on developing its digital platforms than on selling syndicated games to nonaffiliated broadcasters. Not only is ESPN trying to drive distribution for its ESPNU college network, but it wants to expand its broadband and wireless businesses, too.
“We own a lot of content that we’re delivering across a variety of platforms,” said Dan Shoemaker, vice president of collegiate development for ESPN Regional Television.
That doesn’t, however, mean ESPN is giving up on syndication. Shoemaker still describes the market as “vibrant and strong.” ESPN is having success selling Mid-American Conference games and Big East games to local broadcasters and regional sports networks in those former Big Ten markets.
“The MAC footprint and the Big Ten footprint are similar,” Shoemaker said. “We plan to expand on that going forward.”
Silverman said the encroachment of other conferences has not affected Big Ten Network at all. “If you’re a fan of the Big Ten school, you’re going to want to watch your school play,” he said. “Or if you’re a fan of the conference, you’re going to want to watch your conference play. It really doesn’t impact the people that we’re trying to reach.”
Big Ten Network executives say schools that
aren’t near the top of conference standings are
gaining much needed exposure for their games.
Rather, the main reason some viewers could be disenfranchised comes from Big Ten Network’s distribution fight with the biggest cable operators. Comcast, Time Warner Cable and most other big operators have refused to carry the network. They complain that the cost is too high and argue that the programming belongs on a sports tier.
Big Ten Network has come down from its initial asking price of $1.10 a month per subscriber, to a rate thought to be less than $1.
“Whatever games were available on syndication, they’re still on our network, plus all these other games,” Silverman said. “The only time you lose something is if your cable company is not carrying it.”
Big Ten Network executives are hoping they can persuade cable operators to begin carrying the network. Silverman said he is talking with most of the bigger cable companies, and said the sides have been making progress.
“When you’re working with the bigger cable companies, deals get more and more complex,” he said. “The bigger companies are involved in more businesses. They have outer regions, which is obviously a topic we need to address. We’re able to deal with the cable companies in a very flexible manner, whether they are in or out of market.”
Silverman believes he can apply the most pressure on those companies through basketball. While football is on for only 13 Saturdays during the season, Big Ten Network will have up to 130 days with basketball on the schedule.
“We have the combination of a bulk of games and also some really high-quality games,” he said. “It offers us a continual presence on the air that gives people more and more reason to watch us.”
Basketball games also have brought in big ratings for the network, and not just in home markets. Ohio State games get good ratings in Indiana, for example.
“If we have a competitive Big Ten school playing, there are markets where that will rate and be among the higher-rated shows on cable that evening,” Silverman said. “College basketball is a vitally important sport for sports networks like ours. … It takes up a really valuable part of our schedule. There’d be no Big Ten Network without the basketball schedule.”
